So, this past 4th of July weekend, while the likes of you and me were chowing down on one last hot dog or flavour infused tofu stick, some lucky beggars had the opportunity to join in the fun at the Rothbury Musical Festival, where the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, Snoop Dog, John Mayer, some crusty jugglers and Colbie Caillat (to name but a few) performed their little hearts out.
The festivals mission was stated a tad flowery for my liking (harnessing the spirit into a durable social movement, interspersed with speak of transcending beyond individualism and into collective connectedness….). However, all that being said, the purpose was simple “Let’s save the world (and have a bloody good time while we’re at it)”!
The main theme was one of sustainability - Finding Energy Independence - and this was delivered to the masses via the Rothbury Think Tank which hosted a series of expert presentations, discussions and workshops throughout the festival. Now, while the festival-goers praised the environmental initiative, rumour has it that the Think Tank portion did just that and was less popular with the masses (who preferred not to wander too far from the beer tent). Disappointing? Yes. But certainly a HUGE step in the right direction. Alas, the education of the masses is not going to happen overnight (although the event did rub off on Snoop Dogg who instructed his staff to sort the waste from his meal into separate bins for recycling, composting and landfill trash)!
That being said, Rothbury was dedicated to running as close to a zero-waste event as possible and, as such, implemented the following fabulous initiatives:
RUN A NEAR-ZERO WASTE IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
All Rothbury offices have been “Greened.” Just a few examples of the many sustainable initiatives they have implemented include: full service recycling is active at all offices; all paper products are 100% recycled, including but not limited to printing paper, copy paper, envelopes, letterhead; office printing is either two sided, or on the back of reused paper; all their offices use only reusables and compostable kitchen-ware, no disposables; all office supplies have been replaced by their eco equivalents: rechargeable batteries, hand soap, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, energy efficient light bulbs, and more; energy audits and monthly tracking have begun; the Rothbury team travels only when necessary, and when they do travel, they offset the carbon they create from their hotel stays, flights and/or automobiles.
SUPPORT THOSE COMPANIES SUPPORTING THE SOLUTIONS
When purchasing or even renting an item, Rothbury asks themselves three questions:
- Where is this coming from?
- How was it made?
- Where might it end up?
Rothbury is taking advantage of their ability to vote with their dollar. In addition to paper, Rothbury purchases compostables instead of disposables, offers organic and sustainable merchandise (t-shirts, hats), uses biodiesel, provides organic, veggie & vegan food vendors throughout the grounds, and more (yep - check out the 100% recycled loo paper (I’m asuming that it wasn’t loo paper first time around!).
MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ELIMINATE TRASH
If trash can be replaced with a more sustainable option, such as a reusable, it will be. If an item is going to end up in a landfill, then best efforts were made not to use it in the first place. Additionally, their vendors, sponsors and other on-site associates all enthusiastically (and contractually) agreed to the same high standards, and did not hand out anything that might soon be thrown ‘away’.
REPLACE DISPOSABLES WITH COMPOSTABLES
Instead of standard ‘trash items’ like plastic cups, plates and utensils, Rothbury used compostable products made from renewable plant sources. Examples included plates made of sugarcane (called Bagasse), and cups, straws, and trash bags made of corn (called Bioplastic). Rothbury strongly encouraged our attendees to bring their compostable items to one of the many manned compost stations on the grounds!
COMPOST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
As much as 30-40% of the ‘trash’ generated at an average festival could have been composted (and most of the rest can be recycled). In an effort to divert as much waste as possible, Rothbury offered manned compost stations available on-site. These stations accepted all compostable food and food service items, as well as any personal biodegradable items.
PROVIDE EASY TO USE, FULL SERVICE RECYCLING
For those items that were not compostable, like bottles and cans, Rothbury provided easy to use full-service recycling.
PROVIDE AN AROUND-THE-CLOCK ‘GREEN TEAM’
Rothbury provided a volunteer Green Team who were on hand to assist with questions, sorting, and to generally assist in the elimination of tainting.
CHOOSE CLEAN ENERGY
Bio-diesel and solar powered stages, light towers, sponsor power sources, golf carts, etc.
CARBON-OFFSET ALL THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY COULDN’T REDUCE
Rothbury are currently exploring opportunities to offset their carbon in a way which specifically benefits the local Rothbury community 
PROMOTE MASS TRANSIT AND CARPOOLING
Rothbury worked with public transportation systems to offer easy to use travel opportunities, and incentives for those who reduced their impact by taking public transport (airport shuttles, chartered eco-busses, etc).
GIVE BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Whenever possible, Rothbury bought local, hired local, and supported local. Additionally, Rothbury donated all usable products to local charities, schools, community centers and the like after the event. Products that are often left-over post event include: wood, decorations, sponsor items, etc. On site, Rothbury hosted a donation area, where anything useful was stationed. After the event, the town of Rothbury, Grant Township, and the surrounding community were invited to reclaim anything they might needed, for free - including compost! Rothbury also partnered with local school districts for Rothbury’s Solar Schools Program and Rothbury’s Music in Schools Program
THE GREEN TICKET
Rothbury’s Green Ticket offered attendees an easy ‘one click’ opportunity to soften the environmental impact of their festival participation. By estimating all fan travel (percentage of planes, trains and automobiles), Rothbury offered attendees a low-cost opportunity to carbon offset their piece of the travel pie (a $3 tribute added to the price of each ticket). All offsetting dollars will go to building new wind farms in the Midwest, and planting trees in Michigan. For those fans willing to contribute even more (a higher $7 option exists), all funds raised beyond the original $3 offsetting fee will help outfit a local school with solar power. Rothbury itself has committed to donating an absolute minimum of $50,000 worth of solar panels!
0 responses so far ↓
don't be shy...leave a comment!
Leave a Comment